Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

Why don’t bicyclists and drivers get along?

Last week I posted a blog that listed various bicycle laws in Seattle and provided a direct link to each individual Seattle Municipal Code (SMC). After posting this blog, feedback quickly piled up via comments left on the blog and emails. Many of the emails and comments were from disgruntled drivers or from disgruntled bicyclists upset with each other.

Some of the comments left were vicious towards bicyclists and told of various laws that bicyclists ignore daily. Other comments listed laws the drivers violate daily. It seemed as if each group was pointing fingers at each other blaming the other group for breaking more laws. One commenter even posted a link to a video of our Mayor breaking the law on his bicycle. Feel free to go back and look at the comments here.

The fact of the matter is, bicyclists, drivers, and pedestrians all break laws; both intentionally and unintentionally. I’m a biker. Every time I ride on my bike, I am fully aware that drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians around me will break laws. To ask that all drivers and bicyclists follow all the rules of the road would be unrealistic.

Drivers, please understand that most bicyclists do follow the laws most of the time. Bicyclists, please understand that most drivers do follow the laws most of the time. However, there are the select few within each group that intentionally break the law. These select few give a bad reputation for their group, thus fueling the hatred between bicyclists and drivers.

It seems as if suggesting, or mentioning, a bicycle law to a bicyclist is useless because they can quickly tell you when not to follow that law. The SMCs listed after each law have various caveats pertaining to each SMC that explains when it is permissible to not follow that SMC. Many of the SMCs require bicyclists to ride accordingly unless they (the bicyclist) use their judgment and determine it’s not safe or feasible. Basically, many of the laws can be overridden by a bicyclist’s judgment.

While I’m driving down the street, I know where drivers are supposed to be, and aren’t supposed to be. Cars don’t belong on the sidewalks, they aren’t allowed to cross the street using a crosswalk, and they’re required to follow the traffic lights and signs. The SMC views a bicycle as a vehicle on the streets, but also has the rights of a pedestrian, even while riding.

Over the past weekend, I went down to Portland to see a familiar face play a familiar game. During my jog around downtown Portland, I noticed many bikers. I decided to stop some of them and ask about their biking experience in Portland. They told me of the lingering dysfunctional relationship similar to ours in Seattle between bicyclists and drivers, but explained that it’s a much better relationship now than what it used to be. I asked why, and their common response was police started pulling over bikers in downtown Portland enforcing the laws they have in place.

Say again? Police actually ticket bikers for breaking the law?

It’s true, although bicyclists still break laws down in Portland, all of the bicyclists I talked to know someone or has seen a bicyclist who got stopped by the police. I bike/walk/drive/jog the downtown and Belltown streets daily and I have NEVER seen a bicyclist pulled over. The bicycle laws in downtown Seattle make it difficult to stop a bicyclist because there is a caveat or exception to many bicycle laws. In downtown Portland, it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. Also, a bicycle must ride in the bike lanes unless they are avoiding road hazards (i.e. potholes, trash, debris, etc), passing somebody, or making a turn.

As reminder, I’m a bicyclist. I ride a Giant XTC SE-1 hardtail. I’m all about bicycle safety. Every time I get on my bike, I’m risking my safety and my life as I enjoy my favorite method of transportation. I reduce the risk of getting injured or killed by riding safely while following the rules. If I intentionally break a bicycle law, I probably deserve to get hit by a car.

I’m not attacking the bicyclists in this blog; I’m attacking the select few that give safe bicyclists like myself a bad name. I’m also attacking the irresponsible drivers who insist on not paying attention while driving the downtown streets. I can only hope for a day when both bicyclists and drivers can get a long and share the road safely.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.